08 September 2009

Sheffield exports green expertise to Taiwan

They are both well known as leaders in their field in their home town, but now Professor Lenny Koh from the University of Sheffield and Teresa Hitchcock of DLA Piper are as highly regarded on the other side of the world in Taiwan following a visit to the country to advise on 'green exporting'.

The pair travelled to Taiwan, which is renowned as a mass manufacturer and exporter, to host a workshop on the issues and opportunities facing Taiwanese businesses who want to export to Europe but who need to understand the 'green' regulations around doing so.

The workshop was part of an annual programme of activities organised by the 'Supply Chain Management and Information Systems Consortium' which brings together supply chain experts from all over the world, including China, Australia and India. The Consortium was founded by Professor Koh, who is the Director of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Research Group at the University of Sheffield.

Professor Koh explains; "The consortium is designed to bring together leading academics and industry experts in the field of supply chain, logistics and information systems to look at the issues facing industry and come up with realistic and innovative solutions.

"The focus of this event was to look at how the environmental legislation that is vital to protect our planet can sit comfortably with the need for international trade and economic growth as the two need to coexist comfortably.

"It is important that we understand the challenges that exporters in emerging economies face as they work with these regulations, and we also need to ensure they are fully aware of the demands of the regulations so as not to fall foul of the law. That is where Teresa's expertise comes into play and why she was such a valuable addition to this event."

Teresa heads up DLA Piper's Safety, Health and Environment practice for the UK from Sheffield and is a regular speaker on climate change issues and regulation. She joined Al Gore at Sheffield's 'Cooling the Planet' Conference in 2007 and advises clients all over the world on how to best implement environmental good practice.

Teresa explains: "Trade between the EU and emerging economies like Taiwan is vital for our economic success, but it can't be at the expense of the planet. Similarly, we can't expect growing economies to slow down because we in the West have realised the folly of unchecked industrialisation.

"For many Taiwanese companies, much of the legislation now in place in the EU to help reduce carbon emissions is very new to them, and if they want to be able to continue to trade with Europe then they will need to develop new manufacturing and trade practices as well as legislative horizon scanning to help them comply.

"This agenda is not going away, so to enable companies - be they in Taiwan or Sheffield - to make the most of export opportunities whilst not falling foul of environmental legislation , it is vital to fully understand regulatory requirements and align them with overall business planning."